"Will you do mine?" he asked, uncharacteristically shy.
"I'd love to. I only have red, black, or pink polish with me, unless you have some others," Marcella replied. She was smart enough to have noticed that Apollo had a particular fondness for nails, and she saw this as an opportunity to bond with himthat she didn't want to miss. She liked all of Cosimo's kids, and despite what he had said, she wanted to ensure they weren't bothered by her presence.
"Can I get pink and black?" Apollo asked.
"Sure you can. Eat with one hand and soak the other in warm water for me."
Apollo got a bowl of warm water and his pizza from the microwave before he slid onto a stool at the end of the counter beside her.
"So why can't you sleep?" Marcella asked.
Apollo pulled a sad face. "Lachie isn't here. He returned to the Ironwood Manor for some nighttime training with his aunt, Kenna. He'll be back in the morning, but I always sleep shit when he's gone."
They chatted about inconsequential things, Apollo making her laugh easily. It wasn't until she was filing his nails that he grew somber.
"Mom and I used to do nails together," he admitted, making her look up. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to get you to replace her or anything. That's not... I wasn't going there..."
"It's okay, Apollo. I'm not offended," Marcella tried to soothe him.
He let out a sad sigh. "I miss nail time, that's all. Mom did my nails the day she died," he said softly, and the whole terrible story of her death rolled out of him.
"I can't imagine how horrible that would have been to be trapped in the car with her," she replied, stopping the manicure to squeeze his hand gently. "I do know what it's like to lose a loving mother, though. There is no feeling quite adequate to describe it, and no matter how much time passes, it's always there."
Apollo nodded, not meeting her eye. "Yeah. I thought about asking you to summon her, but she deserves her rest, and it's poor taste to ask Dad's new lady love to summon his old wife."
Marcella's stomach flipped at the thought of attempting it. "If she were still around, I would know already. If you do need me to try because you have things to say to her, I would."
"No. It's not fair to either you or her. It's me being selfish," Apollo said, and then his sad expression turned to a smile. "You're a good person for offering despite the Dad thing. He was fucked after Mom's death for so long that none of us thought he would be able to move on. It makes all of us happy that you and him are together."
"It's very new," she said carefully. "I promise I will do everything in my power not to hurt him."
"I know that. If I didn't, we would be having a different kind of conversation," Apollo replied, his eyes going brilliant gold.
Marcella could never forget they were dragons as well as men and weren't afraid to fight for their family.
"I don't doubt it. I would be a lot more protective than you if our positions were reversed," Marcella said, going back to his nails.
"Dad is happier than I have seen in a really long time. You're not like Mom either, if that question ever crossed your mind in a moment of anxiety. He's not trying to replace her with you or anything. He's not the same person he was back then. You are perfect for him just as you are, and you won't ever have to worry about matching up to some perfect dead wife," Apollo chatted on, somehow reaching into the darkest worries she had and ripping them out. Marcella hadn't dared look too deeply at them because she knew how irrational they were.
"Good to know, because I am done being anyone but myself," she said and smiled at him. "Thank you for saying that, though. Iadmit the worry has been there. I have never dated anyone with a family before."
"You two are totally doing more than dating." Apollo blew on his freshly painted nails.
"Is that so? And what are we doing then?" Marcella replied.
Before Apollo could answer, Cosimo himself came in, bedraggled and sleepy-eyed.
Marcella's heart skipped a beat. Santa Maria, he looked so good.
"Are you two having a pajama party and didn't invite me?" he asked. "You better not have been telling Marcella all of my secrets."
"Wouldn't you love to know," Apollo teased with a big grin and blew on his nails again. "I was just heading back to bed so you can be Marcella's new insomnia buddy. Thank you for my nails. I love them."
"Anytime," Marcella replied, blushing as Apollo kissed her on the cheek goodnight. He shot a wink at Cosimo before slipping out the door again. "He's adorable."
"He is, and it's why he gets away with being a devious little shit," Cosimo replied, wiping her cheek where Apollo had kissed her. He had a strange look on his face that only vanished after he kissed her in the same spot.
"Dragon territorial thing?" Marcella guessed.
